Rail-support for furnaces.



No. 690,064. Patented Dec. 3|, I90l. A LAUGHLIN RAIL SUPPORT FOR FURNACES.

PApplicntion filed July 31, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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Patented Dec, 3|, I901.

(Application med July 31, 1901.

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ALEX LAUGIILIN, OF SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-=SUPPORT FOR FURNACES.

SPL-GIFICGATZON forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,064, dated December 31, 1901.

Application filed July 31, 1901. Serial No. 701357. (No model.)

To LLZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ALEX LAUGI-ILIN, a citizen of the United States, residing atv Sewickley, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Supports for Furnaces, of which improvements the following is a specification.

In heating billets, blooms, and ingots it is desirable to support the longitudinal pipes forming the rails in which the billets, the, slide as they move through the furnace in such manner that the heat and products of combustion may flow freely helowas well as above the line of billets passing through the furnace. It is preferred to employ water-cooled pipes arranged transversely of the furnace as supports for the rails. Heret-ofore these transverse pipes have been supported on the side walls of the furnace; but such arrangement is objectionable both on account of the weight thus transferred to the side walls and the stress to which the transverse pipes are subject by reason of the distance between their supports.

The invention described herein is to provide water-cooled supports for said pipes intermediate of the side walls of the furnace, whereby said walls are partially or wholly relieved of the weight of the billets, &c.,passing through the furnace.

The invention is hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a continuous furnace having my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on a plane indicated by the line II II, Fig. 1. Fig.

suitable or desired manner. As usual in continuous furnaces for heating billets, &c., the billet-rails 1 are formed of pipes and extend from the front or charging end toward or to the point of discharge of the billets from the furnace. able distance above the floor of the heating chamber or tunnel by a series of pipes 2, arranged transversely of the heating-chamber. Heretofore such supporting-pipes have been supported solely by the side walls, permitting of more or less sagging. In order to prevent this sagging and to relieve the side walls of such heavy loads, I provide water-cooled legs 3, which serve as supports for the pipes 2, intermediate of the side walls. These legs 3 are preferably formed continuous with the supporting-pipes by so bending a suitable lengthjof pipe that portions thereof will form the bearings 2 for the rails 1, while portions at the ends of the bearings 2 will be at an angle to the latter and rest upon the floor of the heating-chamber. The relative arrangement of the portions 2 and the water-legs may be varied, as will be seen by reference to Figs. 2 and 3. In Fig. 2 the water-legs are arranged intermediate of the supporting portions which have their ends supported by the side walls of the furnace. In Fig. 3 the supporting portions 2 are arranged intermediate of water-legs which rest upon the floor of the heating-chamber, so that side walls are entirelyrelieved of any load, except the top of the furnace.

In lieu of forming the transverse supports and their legs by bending a length of pipe the horizontal portions 2 may be made continuous across the furnace and the legs 3 extend vertically therefrom, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. These forms are preferably made by casting, and to insure the flow of the cooling medium through the legs baffie-plates tare formed across the horizontal portions 2 and extend into the legs. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the billet-rails rest upon the horizontal portions 2, which are supported by the legs a distance from the floor of the furnace. This arrangement, however, may be reversed, as shown in Fig. 6, the horizontal portion 2 rest ing on the furnace-floor and the rails 1 supported by the upwardly-extending legs, which. are suitably spaced for that purpose.

These rails are supported a suit- ICO , &c., from the furnace onto a conveyor 8,

whiehin Fig.4 is arranged below an opening in the floor of the furnace at or near the rear end of the heating-chamber proper, while in Fig. 1 the conveyor is arranged in the rear of the furnace. In both constructions the billet-discharge opening is closed by a door 9.

While I have shown my improvements as applied to particular forms or constructions of furnace, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that such improvements can be readily applied to other forms of furnaces.

I claim herein as my invention 1. A heating-furnace having in combination a heating-chamber, a line or lines of billet-supporting rails, one or more transverse rail-supporting pipes provided with hollow 'legsand means for supplying the rails, pipes and legs with a cooling fluid, substantially as set forth.

2. A heating-furnace having in combination a heating-chamber, a line or lines of rails for supportingbillets, blooms, 850., one or more transverse rail-supporting pipes bent to form horizontal supporting portions and legsand means for supplying the rails and pipes with a cooling fluid, substantially as set forth.

3. A heating-furnace having in conibination a heating-chamber, a line or lines of rails for supporting billets, blooms, 850., one or more transverse pipes having horizontal supporting portions having vertical legs intermediate of its horizontal supporting portions and means for forcing a cooling fluid through the rails and pipes, substantially as set forth.

legs extending therefrom at one or more points intermediate of the ends of the supportingpipe, the supporting portions and legs forming a continuous passage for a cooling medium, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALEX LAUGHLIN.

Witnesses:

DARWIN S. WoLooTT, F. E. GAITHER. 

